Empty Spaces

   As you read the growing list of empty spaces that our legislature draws up as possible replacement housing for the Anchorage Legislative Information Office, it does cause one to wonder how in the world we Alaskan's got stuck with that albatross, elegant as it is, in the first place. The fact that there is all that empty space available seems to reflect badly on many realtors who missed their golden opportunity to provide more government space, as if they were asleep at their own wheel when the deal was being made. Or, was it that some of our trusted legislature very cunningly worked behind the backs of those at large who are the realtors of Anchorage, in addition to the good people of the state who voted them into office? Somewhere in the back of my mind I can't help but think that much of the deal concerning the LIO was alcohol related. I mean no pun by that, but literally, for to me it always had the same smell as that of the Alcohol Beverage Control moving to the port area of Anchorage after the successful lobbying to move ABC from the Department of Public Safety and place it under the Department of Commerce. Added to that is the aroma of an historical yet distressed piece of property, that was not selling in the market as the licensed liquor establishment it was known as, that was brought into the contract to remodel the pre-existing LIO building.
   If you consider it was some of the same legislators involved with both the departmental move of the ABC and the contract deal that has become our nightmare LIO, then it begins to make a corrupt kind of sense. At least the ABC did get moved into available empty space at the Atwood Building, so we can hope.

Fifty People

   When I learned that the many super-pacs in our country were more or less controlled by the same fifty familial names we recognize, it came as no shock. Money runs politics. Certainly in my state of Alaska you are more likely to get your legislative updates from a member of the business and commerce sector. Besides, I had long been aware of how individual politicians were overly invested in what they consider to be the industrial complex that is our lives, be it our healthcare or the corrections system.
   As we see the disparity growing between how those that are 'with' are well treated and how those that are 'without' are continuously left without, it should come as no surprise to those super-pac fifty that Mr. Trump is doing so well as he is among the common man. Here is a man who has everything they have going for them, but unlike the fifty, rather than throw his money at the problem and attempt to hire others to do his will, this man uses his own money to get himself hired for the job. Some people look at him and think thats how they would aspire to be if they had his money. He really sets quite the example for others looking to make their world better, not just grow their own wealth.